Apprentices Deserve More Than Trump’s Plan

In early June, President Trump strolled up to a podium and announced his intention to expand the Labor Department’s apprenticeship program. Trump pontificated about the important role apprenticeships play in matching working people with job training opportunities. Giving credit where credit is due, Trump was right. However, Trump’s words do not match what’s included in his proposal. Apprenticeships require an appropriate level of government funding and oversight to ensure corporations put the interests of apprentices ahead of their profits. Apprenticeships, if operated well, have immense value for working people in a range of industries, including construction, manufacturing, and healthcare. Programs run jointly by unions of working people and employers allow people to earn quality wages, benefits, and a hands-on, debt-free education.

And yet Trump’s proposal fails greatly on those counts. Trump’s apprenticeship program could lead to increased exploitation of apprentices, halt progress for women and people of color to move into good careers in construction and other sectors where they are underrepresented, and harm the futures of working people setting their sights on a sustainable career path.

Labor Department oversight ensures working people can access quality apprenticeships and that big corporations live up to their end of the bargain. Not only does Trump’s budget make that more challenging, but Trump also wants to allow big corporations to write the rules. New apprenticeships would be “industry certified” and would grant companies broad discretion for setting the benchmarks for what qualifies as quality standards. Many fear Trump’s proposal allows almost any company to create a registered apprenticeship with the federal government. As a result, taxpayer dollars could subsidize employers who offer apprentices low-wages and few educational opportunities.

Trump is set to axe a set wage schedule for apprentices. Currently, the Department of Labor mandates that apprenticeship programs eligible for government funding require that as apprentices gain new skills and work their way up the ladder, they earn more. While Trump’s program requires apprentices earn a wage for their work, it does not clarify if or when an apprentice receives a pay increase.

At the state level, California’s apprenticeship program is a strong partnership between the state, industry, labor, and education. California’s design should serve as the standard for apprenticeship programs. Every registered program must meet minimum criteria, which the state monitors to ensure compliance. The 14-member California Apprenticeship Council oversees the program, which includes equal representation from businesses and advocates for working people. Nearly 64,000 Californians participate in apprenticeships in more than 560 registered programs.

How do we insist federal apprenticeship programs put working people first?

Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta recently announced the creation of an apprenticeship taskforce. The taskforce will create a series of goals for the federal apprenticeship program and deliver its findings to President Trump. Securing a seat for working people on the taskforce is a first step to ensuring apprentices have a stake in the future of programs that impact their futures. We know apprenticeships help working people across the country. Let’s make sure federally-sponsored apprenticeships do too.